Haircuts
by sarabethloves
Summary: Alphonse Elric loves getting his hair cut. After years of living without a body, it's just another reminder that he's finally normal. Edward Elric, on the other hand, hates getting his golden locks trimmed. Too bad Winry isn't going to let him get out of it this time. Small post-Promised Day oneshot. Slight Edwin.


**So I've had this little oneshot written for a while now and I just found it on my computer today so I figured I might as well publish it. I've never written FMA fan fiction before but this was super fun so I might have to do a full length fic in the future if an idea comes to me. Hope you enjoy and be sure to let me know if you liked it!**

The sunny summer days in Resembool had always been Edward Elric's favorite as a child and today was no exception. The townspeople went about their normal daily routines, sparing a quick 'hello' as they passed each other on the road. The children ran across the expanse of the hills, playing tag and climbing trees without a care in the world.

Ed glanced out one of the windows in the Rockbell household and day dreamed of the time when his brother, his childhood best friend, and he were once that age and smiled to himself when he remembered all the things the three of them used to do on those hot summer days when life was so much simpler.

"What are you thinking about, Ed?" his younger brother, Alphonse, asked from his spot in the kitchen. Apparently Ed had been caught wistfully looking out the window.

"Nothing really," he answered, as aloof as ever.

Alphonse didn't look very convinced with his brother's answer but let it slide in a spirit of generosity.

The normal summer days that the Elric brothers had come to know recently were a nice change of pace from what they had been used to before Al got his body back and Ed was a state alchemist with the military.

Today in particular was one of those days that reminded Ed so much of the past. Ed and Al had started off the day by visiting the stores in town and getting groceries so Winry and Granny Pinako could make dinner. Then later as the Rockbell women worked on their respective automail projects, the brothers occupied themselves with reading various books, both alchemic and not, in the living room. Now, Winry was giving Al a haircut like their mom had used to do once their locks got a little too unruly.

And, just like when they were kids, Al was enjoying himself and Ed was pouting.

Al loved getting his hair trimmed every so often because it reminded him that he had all the problems (like perpetually growing hair) that humans with real bodies had to deal with. Just like eating Winry's apple pie or feeling the rain hit his face, it was another thing that Al didn't get to experience when he was stuck in armor, making it that much more special.

Ed, on the other hand, _hated _getting his hair cut, which made sense given the immense length it had grown over the past few years. When he was younger, his mom would try to control her son's unruly locks by forcing him to let her trim it whenever she did Al's hair. He couldn't even count how many times he fought with her over that. He liked having long, untamable hair. But because he loved her, he would eventually give in and let her cut it.

After she died, he let Winry cut it despite how much he hated it as a sort of preparation for when she would return. Then once the human transmutation failed and he knew she wouldn't come back, he gave up on trying to control it, leading to the length it was at now.

But Winry had had enough. Ed's hair was almost the same length as hers and that weirded her out. So she demanded Ed at the very least let her trim it so it was a little bit under control.

Oh, how he had fought with her on that one. Even now he was still hesitant to let her cut it as he looked on and scowled at his brother getting his hair trimmed.

"Okay, you're all done!" Winry said as she ran her fingers through Al's clean-cut hair and removed the sheet she had used to keep the hair off of him.

Al grabbed a nearby handheld mirror and smiled at his reflection.

"Wow! It looks great, Winry. Thanks," Alphonse said sweetly as he vacated the chair, set down the mirror, and sat down next to his brother on the couch.

"You're welcome. Alright, Ed, it's your turn," the young mechanic said as she patted the chair she used to give the boys their haircuts.

Ed merely grunted in response and crossed his arms.

"Oh, come on. It won't be that bad. I'm just going to take a little bit off the ends," she said as she too crossed her arms in response to the childlike manner of one former alchemist.

"I like my hair the way it is," he said stubbornly.

"For the millionth time, Ed, it's way too long. You need to keep it at least under a little bit of control," she said exasperatedly. They had had this argument too many times for her to count.

"It's fine," he said angrily.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it-,"

"For the love of god, Edward, get in the damn chair!" Winry's menacing look and tone left little room for argument. Even Al sat back a little in fear.

Eventually, Ed heaved a big sigh and begrudgingly got up from the couch, mustering up the most irritated look he could manage as he slumped into the chair.

Winry, however, wasn't fazed at all by his grumpy demeanor and proceeded to cloak him with the sheet, take the tie keeping his hair up in a ponytail out, and begin to run a comb through the boy's unruly golden locks.

"You better not cut too much off," Ed said angrily as she combed his hair.

Winry rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, you big baby, I won't mess it up. I know how much of a girl you are about your hair."

"Hey!" he said indignantly.

"She's right, brother. Just the other day you spent half an hour fixing your hair before we went to the store," Al said with a chuckle.

"Shut up, Alphonse," Ed said, thoroughly embarrassed his brother had shared that bit of information with Winry, a girl he had lately been trying hard to impress. Now he just looked like an idiot.

Winry laughed. "Why am I not surprised? You make it seem like you just throw it up into a ponytail or braid or whatever, but I know you spend a lot of time fixing it."

Ed scowled as his cheeks burned red at the conversation. And they wondered why he hated getting his hair cut.

Winry laughed again at his reaction, thinking he looked absolutely adorable embarrassed and picked up the scissors from their place on the table. She took a portion of Ed's hair and snipped at the ends, causing the former state alchemist to flinch in response.

In fact, every time Winry even touched his hair with the scissors he flinched. Eventually she had had it with his jumpiness. "Cut it out!" she said in exasperation as he did it yet again.

"What?"

"Flinching. I know what I'm doing, Ed, but if you keep moving like that I may actually cut off too much by accident."

That was enough to stop him. He was still as a rod as she continued, scared she was going to mess up now more than ever.

Alphonse observed the scene as Winry worked. Lately he had been noticing something brewing between his brother and his childhood best friend. He knew that Ed and Winry had a bond that was different than what he himself had with her but he didn't know if either of them would get over their own stubbornness and act on it. So far nothing major had happened, but he couldn't help but think Winry looked kind of like a housewife cutting her reluctant husband's hair. He smiled as he thought about the future he wished they would have together.

"Alright, you paranoid freak, I'm done. You can relax now."

Ed immediately reached for the mirror and worriedly observed his friend's work. It wasn't _too _bad, he thought. Okay, that was a lie. She had actually done a really good job, but he would never give her the satisfaction of telling her that after all the grief he gave her.

"So will you let me trim it from now on?" Winry asked.

"Maybe. But not all the time. I don't want it to get too short," he said reluctantly.

Winry rolled her eyes. She would take that. As stubborn as Ed was, she would accept at least a partial break in his defense.

"Looks good, brother," Al said as Winry began sweeping the floor that was covered in pieces of golden hair.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed said as she slumped onto the couch next to Al and picked up the alchemy book he had been reading earlier.

"Oh, by the way, boys. Granny and I are making stew and apple pie for dinner tonight," Winry said as she cleaned up.

"Awesome!" Al said happily.

"Hey, Ed, can you help me with this?" she asked as she indicated the broom and dustpan in her hands. "After all, most of this is yours."

"Sure," Ed said grumpily as he got up from his place on the couch, took the broom from Winry's hands, and began sweeping.

As the two worked, they exchanged friendly banter and snuck small smiles at each other that only Alphonse caught. He grinned as he watched them.

Once they had cleaned up all the hair, Winry started getting things ready to make the stew, shooing Ed out of the kitchen so he wouldn't bother her. As the smell of Ed and Al's favorite dinner filled the small house they had come to call home, Ed couldn't help but smile in contentment.

Yeah, he could get used to days like this.


End file.
